The invention relates to mounting apparatus for marine engines, and more particularly to apparatus for mounting an inboard engine on the transom of a boat.
It is known in the art to use resilient means to mount an inboard engine to the transom plate of a stern drive unit. For example, it is known to have a projection extending forwardly from the transom plate, a projection extending rearwardly from the engine and having therein a vertical bore, a resilient mounting assembly connected to the transom plate projection, a bolt inserted through the resilient mounting assembly and the bore in the engine projection, and a nut on the end of the bolt to secure the engine projection to the mounting assembly and to the transom plate projection.
This prior mounting apparatus requires alignment of the engine projection vertical bore with the mounting assembly and then insertion of the bolt through the mounting assembly and the vertical bore in order to mount the engine on the transom plate. This can be very difficult.
Attention is directed to the following U.S. patents which disclose mounting apparatus:
Kiekhaefer: U.S. Pat. No. 3,259,099, July 5, 1966 PA0 Lambrecht: U.S. Pat. No. 3,929,089, Dec. 30, 1975 PA0 Lambrecht: U.S. Pat. Re. No. 28,816, May 18, 1976 PA0 Haasl: U.S. Pat. No. 3,865,068, Feb. 11, 1975 PA0 Hussman: U.S. Pat. No. 2,046,558, July 7, 1936 PA0 Brown: U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,777, Sept. 1, 1981 PA0 Lamby: U.S. Pat. No. 4,213,718, July 22, 1980 PA0 Gassaway: U.S. Pat. No. 4,306,708, Dec. 22, 1981 PA0 Compton: U.S. Pat. No. 4,003,330, Jan. 18, 1977 PA0 Jobst: U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,387, Nov. 11, 1975